Naruto: Reunion
by hiyuusha
Summary: Years have past since Sasuke left for Orochimaru. Naruto devoted his all training under Jiraiya, and Sakura became the very first Slug Sage. They've all gone their separate ways, but when Orochimaru is found dead at the Uchiha's hand, Tsunade pushes Naruto to undertake an S-ranked mission: the extermination of one Sasuke Uchiha. Shikamaru and Sakura are just along for the ride...


**Blah blah blah don't own Naruto blah blah  
**

**Naruto: Reunion**

It was raining. Lightning ripped through the skies above, tearing through the dark gray clouds that had graced the valley with their dark and foreboding presence. A lone figure lay on the ground in defeat, his blank eyes staring up as rain fell upon his form, beating and battering at his open wounds.

He had failed… failed to fulfill the most important promise of his life, failed to stop his one true friend from descending into the darkest pits of hell, failed to protect that which was most important to him.

Sasuke was gone. His teammate, comrade, friend, _brother_ had left him. Just when they were finally starting to get along… just when they thought they could finally understand one another…. The boy had never felt lonelier in his life.

What would he tell Sakura? She had put all her hope, all her faith into him, and the one time she did… he had failed. It was heartbreaking really.

A patch of silver-hair flickered into view. The boy turned, acknowledging the man's presence.

_Kakashi,_ his sensei, his teacher, the one who was supposed to guide and shape him as a shinobi. What would he think about the turn of events? Would he brandish a kunai, and make him disappear like he wanted to?

No.

Kakashi was always the first to suggest the idea of teamwork, and as broken as the boy was, he knew that Kakashi had to be feeling something similar.

"So he's gone then?" There was no need for an answer. The missing Uchiha's headband lay clutched in the hand of the silent blonde, a deep gash imbedded in its center from the climax of their battle.

"I see. Naruto, you're wounds-"

"It's fine…" the blonde said, speaking for the first time, "_He's_ dealing with them."

Of course, one couldn't forget the Kyuubi, the great beast of seemingly unlimited power imprisoned within the blonde himself. Naruto slowly laid an arm over the seal, his hands curling over it slightly.

"_He_ won't let me die… he knows that if I do… he comes with me."

"Even so…" Kakashi trailed off, lifting the boy over his back. "Let's go… everyone's waiting. I'm sure Sakura's worried about you as well."

Naruto remained silent. He didn't know what he would say, what he would do to get the girl to forgive him for his failure. He had to remind himself to thank Kakashi later, for it seemed the man had caught onto his anxiety, and restrained himself from saying more.

So the pair departed silently… returning to Konohagakure… their village, their home.

-_3 years later-_

The sound of a blaring alarm awoke one Naruto Uzumaki to his daily routine. Lazily dragging himself out of bed, he paused to yawn, his back arching ever so slightly as the frog clock given to him by his mentor and master continued to blare and croak.

"Oh shut up already…" Naruto started, his hand slamming down on its irregular tongue, halting the noise as the frog's tongue rolled back inside its wooden mouth, silencing the area.

Grinning as he set the clock to the side, Naruto stared into the mirror, his cerulean blue eyes gazing back at him with a confident expression.

Today was the day.

For three years Naruto had trained, taking advantage of every small twist in the plan, every shift in direction his life had taken… and it was all for the coming moment.

Today was the day.

It had taken him months of preparation, and a serious talk with Jiraiya and Tsunade about the direction his training had taken, but it didn't matter. Finally, he had what he needed. Finally, he would take his life into his own hands.

Today was the day… he would defeat Jiraiya.

Grinning as he closed the door to his apartment, he smiled at his landlord, receiving a well-meaning wave in return.

"Ah Naruto!" the landlord called, "How are you today?"

"I'm great!" the blonde grinned in return, pumping his fist into the air energetically, "In a few hours, I'll be one step closer to becoming Hokage!"

"Haha, well keep at it! And don't think about slacking off you hear?"

Naruto smiled lightly and gave another wave before descending the stairs. Things had changed. No longer was he looked upon with fear and disgust. No longer was he labeled an outcast of the village. It'd taken some time, but finally, _finally_, he was looked upon with not fear, but respect, not disgust, but acceptance.

He didn't know what had inspired the change… perhaps his battle with Gaara had shown them what a true monster was? Or perhaps his loyal work to the village had begun to spread rumors about his true nature? Regardless, the blonde smiled on happily, entering the streets with little more than great expectations of the future.

His shining headband was still tied firmly across his forehead, but the familiar yet generic Jounin vest was absent from his attire. He wouldn't need it today, so he didn't wear it. It was bad enough that the vest clashed with his usual attire, and the fact that Tsunade all but ordered them to wear it to any meetings was bad enough.

Still, today wasn't about that. It was about the blonde in orange quickly approaching Training Ground 2. It was about the old man in red who sat quietly awaiting his arrival. It was about the passing of knowledge, and the information one could learn from their elders.

"Jiraiya-sensei," Naruto spoke earnestly, appearing behind the man with a grin, "I've arrived."

"I noticed." Jiraiya responded, his eyes flinging open as he stood to face his student. "So Naruto, I'm sure you know why I called you here…"

A flash of movement!

Naruto's eyes darted to the side, and his arm shot out, narrowly blocking the blow of the older man's kick.

"You've gotten better." Jiraiya grinned, "But…" shifting his center in midair, the Sannin twirled, his other leg extending and swinging out towards Naruto's exposed face.

Another collision. Naruto grinned, his other arm having already moved to the correct position to block the attack.

"Sensei… the same techniques won't work on me twice." Naruto said with a firm voice, though his eyes were glittering in amusement.

Jiraiya's smile rose a bit as he flipped back, landing several meters away from the blonde. "Not bad… not bad at all. You've grown a lot Naruto."

"I had a good teacher," Naruto laughed, scratching the back of his head sheepishly, "But," he lowered his hand and gazed at his master seriously, "there comes a time when the teacher must learn from the student."

"Hmm…" Jiraiya smiled, stretching his back as if in thought, "Well then Naruto, come, and show me what you've learned!"

"Alright!" Naruto grinned, charging forward.

-HY-

As their battle began, elsewhere a young medic had her own challenge to partake. Her pink hair waved in the forest of Shikkotsurin, her body surrounded by slugs from all sides.

"You have made us proud Sakura-san." Katsuyu said slowly, "You are the first to ever complete our training. We of the slugs are honored to finally have a Slug Sage in our midst."

The rosette smiled, wiping sweat from her brow as she leaned back to let loose a great sigh, "Thanks, Katsuyu. I won't forget my time here."

A lesser slug slid into view, a large scroll seated across its back as it slid in front of Sakura, slowly rolling the parchment out onto the cold floor. "The reverse summoning scroll you asked for Katsuyu-sama?" it squeaked out.

The older slug nodded in thanks, before rolling its gaze back towards Sakura. "It seems our time has come to an end. But fear not, we of the slugs shall always be with you."

Sakura nodded, assuming a crouched position over the scroll and closing her eyes.

"You shall be in Konoha soon." Katsuyu murmured, and all Sakura knew was black.

-HY-

"Katon!" Jiraiya breathed, his chest puffing out as he took a deep breath.

Naruto too, had puffed out his chest, facing Jiraiya firmly as he let loose a great storm of flames from his lips, "Katon: Endan!" Naruto breathed, a lone sphere of fire igniting the oil flying from his lips as it roared forward towards the Sannin.

_'So it's like that eh?'_ Jiraiya thought, "Endan!" he finished his own jutsu, sending a similar flame back towards the blonde.

The two spheres engulfed each other whole, twisting and swirling around one another in the center of the field before exploding outward, showing the grass with small flames.

Jiraiya grinned as he raced towards Naruto, chopping a palm out towards the jounin's chest only to find himself being lifted and thrown over the boy's shoulder.

"As if…" Naruto grunted, hurling the man to the side, "That'd work!"

Jiraiya grunted, rolling into a stop as he felt his body hit the ground, turning around to face Naruto and readying his guard. The teen was moving quickly, his arms extending out behind him as he raced towards the Sannin, a kunai gripped firmly in each hand.

He leapt. A simple movement, a small flicker to the left, and his kunai tore through Jiraiya's side. Naruto grunted. It wasn't deep enough. The kunai had only torn at the fabric of his robes, and the white-haired super pervert grinned, his hands rising up and curling into a pair of flying fists.

"Shit-" Naruto trailed off, a fist flying into his side and sending him spiraling across the field, slamming into a tree with a loud crack as his body sagged and fell to one knee.

"Still as rough as ever, ero-sennin." Naruto smiled, staring towards Jiraiya.

"And you've gotten more durable." Jiraiya responded, settling into a ready position as the blonde rose back to his feet. "How about we end this little warm up?"

"Yeah… if I'm going to beat you I'll have to go all out." Naruto mused, his eyes closing as he began drawing upon worldly energies.

It had taken him three months to fully perfect the transformation he was about to undergo, and his potential had allowed him to push farther than Jiraiya ever could have hoped. Small markings formed around the blonde's eyes, a cool breeze flowing across the field as if acknowledging the change within the boy's body. Slowly, Naruto opened his eyes, revealing a pair of toad-like eyes that looked upon Jiraiya with the upmost importance.

Sage Mode.

Jiraiya grinned, "Looks like I really have my work cut out for me." He murmured, his stance bending lower as he awaited the boy's assault, that would no doubt arrive soon.

While he too could undergo the transformation into Sage Mode, Jiraiya was not looking to completely defeat the boy. He was merely searching within him, reconfirming that the child had all the qualities necessary to succeed him. So far, he liked what he saw.

"Get ready Jiraiya-sensei," Naruto said calmly, his arms folded confidently across his chest, "Because now… the battle will truly begin!"

If he hadn't been prepared for it, Jiraiya would have never seen it coming. The boy's speed and power had been augmented greatly, and it took less than a second to close the twenty meter gap between them. He truly was making great use from the power of Sage Mode.

Jiraiya's arm rose just as Naruto's fist flew forward, and for the briefest of seconds, Jiraiya thought he had missed. That thought was soon rectified, as a fierce blow lodged itself through Jiraiya's guard, knocking the man off his feet. Two Kage Bunshin sprung into existence beside the blonde sage, and they quickly leapt forward, each grabbing Jiraiya by the arm and pinning him to the ground.

"What the-?" Jiraiya glanced upward, his eyes widening in amazement as Naruto grinned from above, a pair of spiraling blue spheres present in both hands.

"That's…" Jiraiya's eyes shot open, and he pulled his knees up, kicking the two Kage Bunshin in the face before rolling back and leaping away, narrowly avoiding the sudden crater that formed beneath him as Naruto let loose a grunt of frustration.

"I missed."

Jiraiya couldn't help but sigh in relief. If it was Sage Mode, there was no telling just how much damage that particular technique could have done to him. "Maybe you're not as ready as I thought, you can't even corner me?"

Instead of acting out as he normally would have done, Naruto glanced up at Jiraiya, smiling mysteriously.

"What're you-" the Sannin cut himself off, already feeling the sudden rise of chakra behind him. Watching in horror as the Naruto in front of his dispersed itself, he had only just turned around when a roaring ball of spiraling energy buried itself deep within his stomach, and Jiraiya winced.

"My win, sensei." Naruto said with a grin, as a blue light engulfed them both. "Rasengan!"

Jiraiya's senses snapped back into focus as he heard the name of the technique, as pain erupted from the point of contact. The whirling ball of energy suddenly exploded outward, engulfing the Sannin in its blue being as it tore through the field, ripping the ground from the earth and crashing through several trees.

Jiraiya didn't even try to block, knowing it would have been futile. Had he been a few second earlier, perhaps he could have used his hair to lessen the blow but as it was… he coughed out in pain, his body crashing through the trees as the Yondaime's jutsu slowed to a halt, leaving nothing but a pile of shredded dirt and ruin in its path.

Naruto lowered his hand slowly, before taking a step forward; moving to ensure his sensei had not passed on. "Er… sensei? You're not dead, are you?"

A moment of silence. Then, a small cough.

"Damn it Naruto… you really overdid it…" Jiraiya grunted, slowly crawling to his feet, "But I guess that shows I really don't have anything else to teach you." He chuckled wryly, examining the look on the teen's face.

"So you mean…"

"Yeah, congratulations Naruto," Jiraiya grinned, "you're the second person to have completed my training."

Naruto's face brightened in an instant, knowing full well who the first was. "Really? That's it…?"

"Yeah, that's it…." Jiraiya chuckled a bit, putting a hand to the teen's head and ruffling it a bit, "You did good gaki."

Naruto smiled, a true smile, more than just what he showed to get by every day.

"Now why don't we go get some ram-" Jiraiya winced, gripping his side in pain as he leaned on a tree for support.

"S-Sensei?!" Naruto asked, moving over to help the man, "Are you alright?"

"Heh… yeah," Jiraiya assured him, "Guess that Rasengan of yours did more damage than I thought. Sorry Naruto, looks like I better check myself in, Kami knows the princess will flip otherwise."

Naruto nodded in agreement, "Baa-chan can get a little scary…"

"Speaking of, shouldn't that teammate of yours be getting back soon? Who was it again… oh right, the Haruno girl. I heard from Tsunade her training should be finishing up within the week."

"Sakura-chan's coming back?" Naruto blinked in surprise. It was the first he had heard of it.

Ever since his return to Konoha _that_ day he had rarely seen what remained of his team. Kakashi had returned to working as a full-duty Jounin, and as for Sakura… he didn't know what to think. They had barely spoken since _that_ day, both having been far too busy following their own paths. Sakura had become apprentice to the Hokage, and as for Naruto… well, he had begun to train with Jiraiya. The two never really had the chance to talk and clear up what had happened at the Valley, and when it came right down to it, Naruto wasn't quite sure he wanted to.

He had seen the look in her eye when she thought he wasn't looking. It was such a cold glare she had been giving, but she hid it well. Then again, she _was _set to become a Sannin's successor; he'd be disappointed if she didn't know how to hide her emotions.

Sighing as he pulled his teacher's arm over his head, he helped the man up, limping with him towards Konoha Hospital.

-HY-

"What do you mean you lost track of his whereabouts?!" Tsunade's voice tore through the Office of the Hokage, the poor Genin squad assigned to track the hell cat known only as "Tora" shaking in their boots.

"H-He was right there… then the next second he was gone!"

Tsunade groaned. She didn't even know why she was beating into those kids so hard, probably had something to do with the hangover she had. "Where's Ebisu? Shouldn't he have assisted with the capture?"

Konohamaru, grandson of the late Hiruzen Sarutobi coughed suspiciously, "Well…"

Moegi rolled her eyes as she stepped forward, "He said he had to pick up some documents and that he'd meet us at the Training Field in a hour."

"Is that so… when you see him tell him to see me once you're finished. We need to talk." Tsunade said with a grim face.

"Master, perhaps you should cut them some slack. It's only their first time dealing with _that_ particular mission after all. I recall you once told me that it took your team three times before you caught its grandmother, right Master Tsunade?"

The blonde Kage's head rose up, meeting the emerald green eyes of her apprentice. "So, you've returned Sakura. I take it with good news?"

The rosette smiled brilliantly, giving the Kage a thumbs up, "As you say Master, you're looking at Konoha's very first Slug Sannin!"

Team Ebisu's eyes widened as they realized they were in the presence of a sage, and they all ran towards the rosette, looking at her in awe. It was as if they had reverted back to their childhood selves, worshipping the ground Naruto walked on as if he were some sort of miniature god. Sakura smiled at them lightly, her eyes glimmering with pride and happiness as she answered any and all questions they might have had.

"Wow Sakura-nee you're so cool!"

"Can you teach us sometime Sakura-nee?!"

"So does this mean you're on par with Naruto-nii now?!"

At the last one Sakura started, only for Tsunade to slam her latest bottle of sake onto her desk. "Alright you three stop hassling Sakura. It's about time you went searching for Ebisu is it not?"

The three Genin flushed and nodded, leaving the room in a hurry. Sakura sighed as the last of Konohamaru's signature cape left the room with a whirl, and the door shut loudly behind them, leaving only the pair inside the paper-filled room.

"So…" Sakura began, taking several steps towards the woman she had come to see as a second mother figure, "Katsuyu sends her regards."

"Does she?" the blonde asked, folding her hands in front of her as she gave the girl a piercing glare. "When do you plan on talking to him?"

"W-What? Who are you talking about Master?"

"Don't play stupid with me Sakura." Tsunade smirked, "We both know who I'm talking about. A certain blonde friend of yours? If you can even call him that now. It's been three years Sakura. When are you going to-?"

"I know Master…" Sakura frowned, her hand clenching around her arm slightly, "It's just that every time I see him I…"

"I understand." Tsunade waved her off, "Do you have the scroll?"

"Hai."

Frowning for a moment as she opened her supplies, Sakura pulled out a glistening green scroll, "Just as you said the informant was easy to track down. I'm surprised you had me do this, couldn't Shizune have done it for you?" Sakura asked curiously.

Tsunade shrugged, grasping the handle of the scroll as she began to answer. "Shizune's busy with her job at the hospital. Seems as though there's been an influx of patients recently." The Kage frowned, taking the scroll in both hands and pulling it open in one sweep, gazing upon the numerous characters spread across its form.

As she read more of the scroll, her eyes continued to widen, until finally…

"Is this all you received?"

The words were curt, straight to the point, and immediately Sakura knew she was no longer dealing with Tsunade, the Legendary Sucker, but rather Tsunade, Godaime Hokage of Konohagakure.

"Hai." The newly proclaimed sage nodded curtly, her own eyes taking on a tint of seriousness.

Tsunade's hand crunched into the desk before her, releasing a resounding crack that echoed through the room.

"Damn it!" the woman roared, flying up from her chair as she glared past the room. "Where the hell is Jiraiya?!"

-HY-

The man in question lay sleeping in the hospital, having been bandaged up to the brim by touchy doctors. If he had known what event had occurred earlier that day, perhaps he would have called off his "spar" with Naruto, but as things stood, there was no choice.

Tsunade swept through the hospital like a storm, her eyes scanning each hall and number for the briefest of moments before continuing onward. The room number 6D rang through her head like thundering war drums, and each step she took carried with it the full force of her intent.

6D.

Sixth floor, Fourth room, it wasn't that hard to remember. She turned the corner, her destination slowly coming into view.

6D.

The door slammed open, and Naruto leapt up in surprise, staring at the woman in shock.

"Naruto Uzumaki." She breathed slowly, her eyes trailing down to the sleeping man in the bed, "You just had to use Rasengan on him didn't you gaki?"

"Baa-chan?" Naruto blinked in surprise, "What's going on? What're you doing-?"

"Naruto Uzumaki!" Tsunade called, "Report to my Office in Five, bring your things." She added, turning on her heel without another word and closing the door behind her.

Naruto's back sagged as he felt the room shudder from her movement. "Baa-chan's scary when she's mad…."

_'Stupid Jiraiya! Stupid Naruto! Stupid Rasengan!'_ the Kage thought as she paced her office, the scroll lying forgotten on her desk. _'No No… calm down Tsunade, they didn't know what would happen. Even so they should have taken the proper precautions!'_

"Hokage-sama, a Naruto Uzumaki is here to see you?"

"Send him in." Tsunade stated, taking one last calming breath as the blonde entered her office.

"Hey Granny, what's this all about?" Naruto asked in confusion, noting the expression on the Sannin's face. "Did something happen?"

"Hai. We've just received word that Orochimaru is dead by the hand of Sasuke Uchiha."

Shock. Naruto's eyes widened so instantaneously that Tsunade wouldn't have believed it if she hadn't seen it herself.

"Sasuke…?" Naruto asked slowly, the name of his former comrade gracing his lips for the first time in years.

"Yes," Tsunade nodded in confirmation, "The Uchiha was last seen heading north. Based on this information, along with what you yourself have gathered over the years, we can only assume that he's finally decided to make his move."

Naruto's eyes narrowed slightly as his stare turned towards the ground. His hands were clenched firmly by his side, and he thought back to the last time he had seen his "brother". The horrid markings flying across his face… the hand-shaped wings that covered his blackened body… Naruto grit his teeth in anger and frustration, but he held firm.

"He's headed for Akatsuki, isn't he?" Naruto growled out slowly.

"That is what we believe. The information also states he has gathered a team of individuals under the heading of an organization named "Taka". I'm sure you know what their purpose is.

Naruto thought back to the numerous missions he had partaken in with his mentor Jiraiya and the numerous battles and skirmishes he had fought in to gather said information.

"Itachi and Konoha." The blonde murmured quietly, receiving only a grim nod in response.

Tsunade's eyes softened for a moment, "Naruto, I understand if you don't want to do this, but-"

"Don't bother." Naruto cut her off, "You have a mission? I'll hear it. And don't leave out the details Granny."

Tsunade placed a hand on her hip, turning to face the blonde carefully, "Very well. As you were just informed, Sasuke Uchiha is headed north, no doubt to rendezvous with the leader of Akatsuki, who we know has contacted the Uchiha several times in the past. Escorting him are Otogakure ninja Suigetsu Hozuki, renowned for his spectacular use of Suiton ninjutsu, Tenbin no Jugo, a homicidal maniac capable of destroying nearly everything in his path," she paused, her eyes flickering upwards to meet Naruto's, "and Karin Uzumaki, sensor and medic for the team."

Naruto paused, "Sasuke is traveling with an Uzumaki?"

"It is highly unlikely he knows of this particular fact, though it will undoubtedly be revealed by the time they arrive in Akatsuki's headquarters. It is part of why this mission is so important. I know you don't want me to say it, but we both know that the Uzumaki Clan..."

"You want me to bring her back so she can be beneficial for the likes of Konoha?" Naruto interrupted, "Baa-chan, you know how I feel about that."

"I was actually going to say it'd be beneficial for you to have someone you can relate to regarding your heritage." Tsunade growled, looking affronted at the very thought of gaining one more ninja only to use them for a breeding stock. "Moving on, Naruto, as much as I know you want to, I will not allow you to go on this mission alone. For this particular S-Rank, you will be required to bring with you no less than two others."

"Two?" Naruto gaped, "But Baa-chan I-"

"No arguments Naruto. Not this time. I've seen how you get on missions regarding Sasuke and we both know that isn't what we need right now."

The teen growled, "Fine."

"Good, then just to make sure we've been through this once more…"

"My mission, should I choose to accept it, is the capture of Karin Uzumaki, the subsequent termination of the organization Taka, and the elimination of one Sasuke Uchiha." Naruto stated firmly, staring Tsunade in the eye.

"Correct, do you have any recommendations for your squad mates?"

"Shikamaru Nara," Naruto said immediately as he thought of the lazy jounin. "His mind will be useful during high stress situations, and we are used to each other's methods. The team dynamic would not be affected by his presence."

"Very well," Tsunade nodded, "and the second choice?"

"Doesn't matter," Naruto said, "I'll let you decide."

Tsunade's eyes gleamed mischievously as the blonde left the room, no doubt to inform the lucky Nara that they had a mission of the utmost importance.

"I wonder who I should choose…" Tsunade murmured, her eyes still twinkling with mischief.

-HY-

Nara Shikamaru was by no means an ordinary shinobi. Sure, he was lazy, unmotivated, and relatively pessimistic, but that had nothing to do with his overall skills as a Jounin. If someone saw him at first glance, they may disregard him as just another bland shinobi in the crowd. After all, unlike so many others of his graduating class, Shikamaru wore no exciting designs that displayed how unique he was.

His attire was a simple Jounin vest, laid atop an all-black outfit with his Konoha Leaf Headband attached firmly on its left sleeve. The only thing one could say was unique about the boy's appearance was his hair, hair that was pulled back in the form of a Chonmage, giving it more of a pineapple-like appearance.

But Shikamaru's prowess did not lie in his appearance, but rather his ingenuity. Shikamaru held an IQ of over 200, much higher than many of the other graduates of his year. He was a closet Genius, hiding his intellect behind a wall of boredom and cloud-watching, and for a time, it had worked.

However, his time as a Genin had revealed his true nature. His teammates were all too aware of his intelligence, and the Chunin Exams, along with the original Sasuke Retrieval Mission, had only shown just how smart the boy truly was.

Both times he had been paired up against a powerful opponent, both times, he had been on the verge of victory, only for some distorted, twisted, sick sense of humor to overcome him, and force him into a defeat.

The boy genius exhaled, a cloud of smoke flying from his lips, a testament to his late sensei Asuma. His body was spread out across the grassy hill, his eyes boringly scanning the skylines, watching the numerous clouds pass overhead.

It seemed to be one of the few hobbies he had left ever since his mentor had died at the hands of Hidan, one of Akatsuki's top agents, but the pineapple-head took comfort in knowing that the immortal Jashinist was forever imprisoned deep under the ground, where the Nara would forever watch over him.

Still, at that moment the Nara was perfectly content. Taking another puff of his steaming cigar, Shikamaru cocked his head back, prepared to drift off into yet another slumber.

"Shikamaru."

Crap. There was only one person who said his name like that, with that particular inflection of voice, and that tone…

"Naruto," Shikamaru sighed, covering a hand over his face as he looked upon Naruto's overbearing form, "What're you doing here? Wait… don't tell me, I probably don't want to know."

"Orochimaru is dead." Naruto said, taking a seat next to his fellow Jounin and watching for his reaction.

A brief pause. Shikamaru leaned up slightly, his cigar being snuffed in the small dirt mound beside him. "When?"

"We don't' know the exact time, but we know who." Naruto continued, turning his gaze out towards the clouds as well, "It was-"

"Sasuke right?" Shikamaru sighed, dusting off his grassy knees as he turned to face the blonde, "It's obvious it has something to do with him, otherwise you wouldn't waste your time telling me about this."

"Heh, your right." Naruto admitted, "It involves Sasuke. Baa-chan gave me a mission."

Shikamaru blinked.

"I'm to capture a fellow Uzumaki by the name of Karin, and eliminate Sasuke once and for all."

Shikamaru sighed, turning his gaze back to the clouds as well, "Troublesome… so, what are you going to do about it?"

"The same as usual. Nothing. I'm done chasing after him." Naruto said firmly, "I lost two years of my life chasing after him with Jiraiya, trying to make him see sense, trying to bring him back home… but the time for that has passed. Intel says that he's headed after Itachi. With him knowing the truth about everything… it's likely he's going to come here next."

Shikamaru sighed, "So that's why she gave you the assassination mission. When do you leave?"

"_We_ leave tomorrow morning. I gave Tsunade a recommendation to put you in the squad."

"Me? But Naruto-"

"No buts Shikamaru. Not this time." Naruto sent a fierce glare at the Nara, silencing him with a sigh. Upon seeing that he could continue the blonde closed his eyes and spoke, "We'll be meeting our third teammate in the morning, where I will give you a proper debriefing along the way."

With his job done, Naruto stood, leaving Shikamaru alone once more on the grassy plain, with little more than his burnt out cigars lying next to him.

"…. Troublesome blondes."

-HY-

The night passed smoothly, and before Naruto knew it, dawn was upon him. He grabbed his supplies and marched forward, solemnly entering the Kage's Office where Shikamaru and their third teammate would no doubt be waiting.

"Baa-chan." Naruto greeted, entering the room with a composed face as the blonde Kage nodded towards him in acknowledgement. It seemed as though he was the first to arrive.

He had hoped his third teammate would have been there beforehand, especially seeing as how Shikamaru was likely not to arrive until the very last second. The time clicked away, minutes passed, and Shikamaru finally entered the room, sighing and murmuring about troublesome blondes.

Naruto couldn't help but smirk, it seemed as though Temari had kept the pineapple-haired Genius up last night.

"So, Baa-chan, who's the third teammate?" Naruto asked curiously, not one to beat around the bush. The sooner the team was together the sooner they could get the mission on the road.

"She has been debriefed and will be meeting you at the Gates after we're done here." Tsunade informed the pair, "Shikamaru, has Naruto already informed you of what is to be done?"

"Yeah…" the Nara nodded, "Capture Karin Uzumaki, Defeat Taka, eliminate Sasuke Uchiha. Three in one huh…? I can't say the probability of success without knowing who the third member is but…"

"Sakura Haruno." Tsunade interrupted, "The third member is Sakura Haruno."

"S-Sakura-chan?" Naruto started, gaping like a fish, "She's back already?"

"She arrived yesterday; it was her who delivered the information. I had her retrieve it from the contact on her return from Shikkotsurin, home of the Slugs."

"But Baa-chan, choosing Sakura…" Naruto trailed off, but what he was trying to convey was obvious.

"Do not worry Naruto; I have full faith in my apprentice. She won't slow you down… I swear it."

_'We all know how the rest of her bets go…'_ Shikamaru thought dreadfully.

The rest of the meeting was spent going over details, something Shikamaru was far too good at. Numerous times Naruto had grown impatient from the sheer amount of details Shikamaru required, but he had to admit that the Nara's plans worked extremely well. But with Sakura there…

The Haruno had not been on any team with the other rookies since the last Chunin Exams, but now, with her all but inheriting Tsunade's status as Sannin; she could potentially be on par with Naruto. The blonde cast his eyes to the ground, briefly wondering what would come of their next meeting. Did she hate him..? Loathe him? Whatever she felt, he was about to find out first-hand.

The road to the village gates were cold and empty, and most of the Village was still asleep, blissfully unaware of the danger that would befall them if the mission failed. A lone figure stared out towards the pair as they approached the gate, and Naruto's eyes widened ever so slightly.

Their meeting was merely meters away. Such a distance could be closed in mere seconds. Time slowed for the blonde as the girl's appearance came into view piece by piece. Her pink hair, her fair skin, her emerald green eyes...

It all screamed Sakura Haruno.

She too had her supplies ready for the journey ahead of them, and Naruto could only marvel at how much she had changed in appearance alone. No longer did she appear to be the shy young fan girl that spent her evenings wondering how to best woo the Rookie of the Year. She held in her eyes a firm yet confident gaze, and she stood with her back straight, a small smile tugging at her lips as she saw the two approach.

No longer was she dressed in civilian battle-dresses that would hinder her movement in battle. Her robes, (Sage robes, Naruto noted) had been augmented to suit her fighting style, and on first glance alone Naruto could tell it would allow her to move both quickly and agilely, an ability the girl did not seem to have in her younger years.

They stared at each other for what seemed like hours, but what was in reality only a few seconds. For advanced shinobi as they were, that was all the time they needed.

Still, appearances were only the first step in a three year reunion, and Naruto could only wonder what the girl thought of him.

"You seem to have grown." Sakura spoke first, her words cutting through the silence like a knife.

Naruto gulped, "You as well. I hear you've become a sage?"

"Hai, as you know, I spent a year in Shikkotsurin learning the way of the Slugs. On my best day, I _may_ be able to defeat even Master."

"I see."

Yet another moment of silence. Shikamaru sighed, three years later, and the pair were still as troublesome as always. Taking a quick puff of his cigar, he turned to face his teammates with bored eyes.

"Shall we get going?" he asked aloud, "We want to catch up to them as soon as possible… right?"

"Shikamaru's right. We can catch up later." Sakura said slowly, turning away from Naruto and walking back towards the gate.

"Sakura…" Naruto trailed off, his hand almost reaching out to grab her. He stopped himself, glancing towards the ground for the briefest of seconds before shaking his fears away. He was on a mission, and this mission, he could not fail.

"And there they go…" Kotetsu sighed as he watched the trio leap off into the trees with his partner Izumo, "I wonder how long it'll take?"

"The current bet is three weeks."

"That soon?" Kotetsu blinked in surprise, "Nah… I say a week after they get back."

"Heh, you underestimate those brats."

"Don't we always?"


End file.
